Tuning In: 17th at TPC Sawgrass makes for fun viewing

The par-3 17th at TPC Sawgrass with its island green is one of the most famous holes in golf and certainly makes for fun television viewing. With so many tee shots ending up in the water, the 17th could upstage even Tiger Woods as the biggest draw at the Players Championship this week.

“I like it to cover,” Miller told the T&G in a conference call. “I didn’t like it to play.”

Miller said the courses he grew up playing in the San Francisco area didn’t have water.

“So when I got on water holes,” he said, “I had a tough time with those holes.”

Miller considers the 17th a stiff test of nerves at times, but not always.

“Sometimes it plays real easy,” he said, “and if there’s no wind or if it’s a little bit of a fade wind where guys can play that little baby draw, it gets pretty easy. But if it comes off the right side, if it comes from the east where guys are throwing it out there and trying to hold it or ride the wind, it’s a brutal hole. It’s fun to see in the wind how it plays and just the disaster, and the heroics, too.”

Faldo said he likes 17 because it’s the hole you think about before you drive in the gate. Chamblee agreed that when he played Sawgrass, he woke up thinking about 17.

“But if I had an execution in the afternoon,” Chamblee said, “I wake up thinking about that, too. I don’t necessarily think that would be a good thing.”

Chamblee doesn’t like the hole because he thinks it comes too late in the round.

“I think it has the potential,” he said, “to play too much of a role for the quality of the hole. It’s 130 yards and Johnny’s right, sometimes it’s an absolute nothing short iron when the wind is not blowing. But when the wind is blowing, there is too much luck involved in the shot and too much of the penalty for a miss.”

“Don’t be a party pooper,” Miller interjected.

Chamblee ignored Miller and continued to rip 17. He believes the Players Championship deserves to be considered a major championship, but he thinks the 17th hole is one reason it’s not.

“There’s a contrived part of that 17th hole,” Chamblee said, “that makes it great TV, that makes it great drama, that I think just makes the feel of the golf course quirky. The rest of the golf course is fabulous. But, like Johnny, I love watching it as an analyst.”

Of the 50 cameras that NBC and Golf Channel will use during their 22 hours of live coverage today through Sunday, 11 will be located on the 17th hole. That’s the most used for any hole in golf.

Faldo said when he played Sawgrass, he used to head to the end of the range and hit 50 9-iron shots to a tiny practice green to prepare for the 17th.

“I hit all sorts of little knockdown shots,” he said, “and hooks and fades to hold it against the wind, and when you get up there, it’s amazing. There are a few holes where you even think about how high you tee it up. You don’t want to tee it up too high because you might hit it too hard and it won’t get there and then you can’t get carried away — takes one hop and goes over the back. It gets your attention, and it’s only a (130)-yard shot. It’s a good golf hole.”

Once you reach the 17th green, you’re not finished. NBC golf producer Tommy Roy said 52.7 percent of the golfers in the Players have had at least one three-putt on the 17th green since 1992. Two ridges split the green into three areas. The front left part is small and difficult to hold. If the pin is tucked to the right, the water comes into play even more. The back part of the green slopes away from you, but not as much as it once did.

“You hit the wrong section,” Miller said, “if it’s in the front (and) you hit the back left, then you have a tough 2-putt. And if you go in the back right and you’re chicken and you leave it short left, it’s an impossible putt.”

Miller believes the difficult tee shot and putts make the 17th a complete test.

“I know Brandel’s feelings, but it is not going to go away,” Miller said

“No, it’s not,” Chamblee said, “and like I said I enjoy watching it, I really do. As an analyst, I’m on the edge of my chair.”

Just like the television viewers.

Showtime to air bouts
On Saturday night, Showtime will replay unbeaten Floyd Mayweather’s 12-round unanimous decision over Robert Guerrero for the WBC welterweight championship. Showtime will also repeat unbeaten Abner Mares’ ninth-round technical knockout victory over Daniel Ponce DeLeon to capture the WBC featherweight title. The show begins at 9 p.m.